Calendar Aug. 7-13

E-mail announcements to the Gazette, gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos and artwork are encouraged. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week's paper. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with questions.

Other Items

The Alexandria Choral Society announces auditions for the Adult Chorus. Auditions will be held Aug. 5 from 6-9 p.m. and Aug. 9 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road. Sign up for an audition time at www.AlexChoralSociety.org. If you have any questions about the audition process, e-mail AlexandriaChoralSociety@gmail.org.

Ongoing

Every Monday and Friday through August from 10 a.m. –11 a.m. or 11 a.m. –noon Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria will be having Harry Potter’s Plants and Potions for 6- 12 year olds. The program teaches children how to craft a wizard’s wand and make potions. $6 for Students. Call 703-642-5173 to register. For more information visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gspg

Every Monday and Friday through Aug 11-15 and 18-22 Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria will be having Butterfly Lab to teach children ages 6-12 to raise their own butterflies. $ 135 for students, includes supplies and light snacks. Call 703-642-5173 to register. For more information visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gspg

On Mondays, September 8, 2008 through December 1, 2008 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., the Green Spring Gardens located at 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria will be having Yoga for Gardeners for adults. The program will offer a series of classes featuring the Vinyasa method to increase your flexibility, strength, and endurance for gardening. $ 66/ six-class sessions. For more information and to register call 703-642-5173.

Join City archaeologists and trained volunteers for an exciting program for kids of all ages at Alexandria Archaeology Family Dig Days. Be part of the fascinating archaeological investigation and discover firsthand the hidden clues left behind by the people who lived and worked there hundreds of years ago, by helping screen excavated soil. Monthly Family Dig Days will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, in Alexandria. The 2008 dates are on Saturdays: Aug. 16; Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. $5/person and spots fill up fast. Call 703-838-4399 or visit www.alexandriaarchaeology.org to reserve a spot.

On Sundays from noon-5 p.m., visit the Waterfront and see history-inspired performances near the Torpedo Factory; do a “meet and greet” of early Alexandria residents and travelers near the Waterfront and lower King Street. Free. Visit www.historicalexandria.org for more.

In celebration of the exhibition “Setting the President’s Table: American Presidential China,” visitors to Mount Vernon will have a chance every day from June 1 to Aug. 31 to win a piece of porcelain featuring the Martha Washington “States” pattern. Drawings occur daily at 3 p.m. in the Shops at Mount Vernon, and the grand prize will be drawn on Aug. 31. No purchase is required, and visitors do not have to be present to win. Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

On Saturdays through Aug. 16 from 1-3 p.m., children ages 8-12 years can learn how to create a garden with hands-on activities and will be able to grow a garden. $10/student. At Green Spring Garden, 4603 Green Spring Road. To register, 703-642-5173.

See Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., in a whole new light – lantern light. Tour the 1785 tavern and 1792 City Hotel during the summer season with costumed guides as you experience the tavern as patrons did more than 200 years ago before the advent of electricity. Tours are every Friday night, June through August, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person ages 5 and up. Tours last approximately 30 minutes, with the last tour starting at 9:15 p.m. Call ahead to confirm tour date. For more information, call 703-838-4242 or visit www.gadsbystavern.org.

On Mondays, Aug. 25, Sept. 29, Oct. 27, and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. Green Spring Gardens will be having Family Story Time for children of all ages where there will be stories and activities. Free. For more information visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gspg

On Mondays September 8 through October 27 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Green Spring Gardens will be having Let’s Grow kid’s Gardening Program where kids will enjoy sprouting seeds, growing vegetables, planting, flowers, exploring soil and other out door fun. $ 70 /student. For more information and to register call 703-642-5173.

Children enter a world of fantasy and fables when costumed interpreters weave three tales together during Mount Vernon’s outdoor storytelling session, “Once Upon a Time at Mount Vernon”, held every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. through Sept. 27 at the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site. “Once Upon at Time at Mount Vernon” is included in regular Estate admission: adults, $13.00; youth ages 6-11, $6.00; and children under 5 are admitted free. Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Historic Mount Vernon will have special commemorative whiskey sets available for sale beginning Aug. 4! The set includes a shot glass and a 50 mL bottle of whiskey consisting of 11 different whiskey brands blended and aged at Mount Vernon in 2005. The gift sets are $25 and are available for purchase in person with a valid ID at the Shops at Mount Vernon or George Washington’s Distillery. Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Whiskey Rebellion. See a military encampment, drilling and more at George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill, 5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. Entrance fee. Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-799-5203 for times and cost.

Block Party. 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Gum Springs Community Center, 8100 Fordson Road. Hosted by Northern Virginia African Americans for Obama. Free. Work to get people registered to vote.

Sunday/Aug. 10

Music Performance. The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Winds will perform at 3 p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St. Free. Visit www.wmpa.us for more.

This Week in History Tea Program. 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Green Springs Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road. Learn how to use the Fairfax County Public Library’s Historical Newspaper Index to view the past 120 years through the pages of our local papers and enjoy some tea. $25 for participants. Call 703-941-7987 to register. For more information visit www.faircounty.gov/parks/gsgp

Week in History Tea Program. 1-3 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road. Learn what was going on in the community throughout history. $25/person. 703-941-7987 to register.

Whiskey Rebellion. See a military encampment, drilling and more at George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill, 5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. Entrance fee. Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-799-5203 for times and cost.

Opening reception. 6:30-8 p.m. The Art League presents its International Landscape Show from Aug. 6 through Sept. 1. See works from all types of media. Free. Located at the Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St. Visit www.torpedofactory.org for more.

Music Performance. Tubist Michael Murry and pianist Laurie Vivona Bunn will perform with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic at 3 p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St. Free. Visit www.wmpa.us for more.

Flavored Vinegars Tea Program . 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Green Springs Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road. Learn how to blend vinegars into with herbs, fruits, and vegetables to make a variety of tasty condiments and enjoy some tea. $25 for participants. For more information visit www.faircounty.gov/parks/gsgp